For years, Groton’s Track and Field team has remained competitive, despite the majority of its practices being held at nearby middle schools and high schools. A five-minute bus drive away, Ayer High School was where the team practiced three times a week up until last year, when the team practiced at Bromfield Middle School. Twice a week, the team ran at less than ideal spots around campus. With the bumpy Junior Varsity Soccer field being a sprinter’s worst nightmare and a recipe for disaster, the $3.5 million gift from an anonymous donor is welcomed with grateful arms. The generous donation will be used to construct Groton’s very own track and field. 

The contributor gave the donation to the school in honor of Headmaster Temba Maqubela’s tenth year on campus. Ever since he and his wife, Mrs. Maqubela, arrived at Groton School, they have emphasized the importance of inclusion and belonging. Part of that philosophy includes athletic inclusion. Track and Field coach Jamie Lamoreaux said, “We will be able to host track meets at Groton, I believe we will have more kids come out for track. Now that we have a track, we will be able to recruit track athletes” With the addition of the track, the track team will be more integrated into the school community. “I always wanted my friends to watch me race,” Andrew Johnson ‘22, last year’s Track and Field captain, shared. “It’s unfortunate that there wasn’t a track on campus during my time there and it put us at a disadvantage against other schools. We were still a great team, and having a track will make our team even more successful because it will improve practices a lot.”

According to Coach Lamoreaux, the new track will begin construction on the field beneath the turf field in the spring of 2023. Hopefully, the track will be finalized by the time the 2024 Track and Field season comes around. Coach Lamoreaux says that the facilities will accommodate all seventeen track events: Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault, Hurdles, and of course, all sprints and relays. “Having our facility will give us the ability to work on all 17 track and field events daily. Especially the technical events such as the jumping and throwing along with the hurdles and relays daily.” he says. 

What will be the most significant change in the program? In Coach Lamoreaux’s opinion, the biggest change “will be the travel time saved daily, roughly 30 to 40 minutes a day traveling back and forth to Harvard daily. Giving us at least 30 to 40 more minutes more practice time. Groton will get prime time use first, not what is left over or when the track is not being used at other schools.” The already successful track team will be able to reach new heights once it has the same resources as other schools in the ISL. The Groton Athletics program looks forward to a new chapter for the Groton Track and Field team.